Method for the manufacture of novelty yarn



Nov. 5, 1963 K. M. MOLELLAN 3,109,279

METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NOVELTYYARN Filed Feb. 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. KENNETH M. MQLE LLAN BY FIG. 2 JZW/ 7 A TTIORNE Y Nov. 5, 1963 M. M LELLAN 3,109,279

v METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF NOVELTY YARN Filed Feb. 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. F 6 KENNETH M. MQLELLAN Jaw A2 ATTORNE United States Patent M 3,109,279 NETHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE GF NOVELTY YARN Kenneth M. Mcllellan, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Midlafngigoss Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation 0 0 Filed Feb. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 175,905 4 Claims. (Cl. 57-157) This invention relates to novelty yarns of the thick and thin type simulating shantung yarn and to a method of making such yarn. More particularly, the invention relates to the manufacture of such a yarn by a method applicable to apparatus for the continuous spinning of artificial multifilament yarn.

Since the advent of artificial yarn spinning by continuous methods, various improvements have been proposed for altering such spinning to effect physical deformities or exterior changes along the length of a yarn to thus imitate yarn constructions made from natural fibers or by various developed processes creating different kinds of physical characteristics designed for various textile end purposes. Continuously spun physically altered yarns, generally, are deformed in a regularly occurring manner which regularity becomes monotonous and which in cloth form will yield a regular pattern, although different from unaltered yarn.

lit would be advantageous to provide for a novelty yarn where the thick and thin portions were irregularly spaced along its length and where the thick portions also vary in size. Such a construction more closely simulates shantung yarn than even the normally spun thick and thin yarns by conventional methods. The yarn and the method of its construction, to be more specifically described hereinafter, difiers from conventional methods in that it yields thickened portions of a high bulk spaced at random intervals along a continuing length of yarn formed directly from a multifilament artificial yarn while being continuously spun and advantageously on a continuous spinning apparatus. Yarn having enlarged portions along a generally constant diameter can be produced with such desirable chracteristics on a continuous process apparatus. Such production avoids many subsequent separate handling steps and the need of special further required equipment; thus, also, making it more economical to produce.

More specifically, the thick and thin portions of multifilament yarn of this invention are formed as such yarn is being withdrawn from a continuously advancing helix, the yarn turns emerging from the helix being separated at intervals and the filaments forming the yarn at such times spread so as to make a web which upon rotation is converted to different uneven yarn of random thickened and thinned portions of various lengths and occurring at various intervals along its length. Such a yarn for certain uses can be strengthened if of low denier for subsequent handling in the various apparatuses used for making various types of fabrics, either by weaving or knitting, and processes and modifications thereof. Additional strength to low denier novel yarn is advantageously provided by enwrapment by another compatible yarn of continuously uniform diameter and of such size that is designed not to affect the imparted novel exterior characteristics; or a yarn to further such unusualness can be added.

Thick and thin bulk yarn made by drawing from a helix has been described in US. Patent No. 2,854,814. The present method and the product of this invention, however, are an improvement thereover in that slubs or thickened portions are interspersed rather than being continuous and will now be more fully described in the fol- 3,169,279 Patented Nov. 5, 19 63 lowing specification taken with the accompanying drawing; where FIGURE 1 represents the discharge end improvement to a thread storing, thread advancing device adapted to form irregularly spaced Webs or skeins in the running length of a continuous filament yarn.

FIGURE, 2 partly in side section, indicates the mounting of the discharge end improvement on a reel enabling the formation of the spaced webs or skeins;

FIGURE 3 is a representation of a yarn helix being moved over a thread storing, thread advancing device in a plurality of turns;

FIGURE 4 represents, in partial section taken across lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3, the separation of filaments to form a Web or skein;

FIGURE 5 represents, in side elevation, an abbreviated form of a continuous spinning apparatus capable of being utilized in making the yarn of this invention; and

FIGURES 6 and 7 represent details of the yarn and of its appearance in a fabric, respectively.

Referring to the drawing the applicant advantageously uses an interdigitating thread advancing reel with an add ed improvement, a conical device 10 having a mounting hub 11 adapted to fit into its fore-end. The type reel preferred is the thread storing, thread advancing reel of FIGURE 2 and more specifically that shown and described in the Knebusch Patent 2,210,914. As described in this patent the reel is adapted to store and advance yarn in a helix of many turns of thread lengthwise over its periphery. Normally, yarn approaching the end of the reel periphery is manually taken oif and led to another simjlar device positioned adjacent it and so on or (I to a final collecting device. It is proposed by this invention through the use of a temporary yarn storing improvement to the reel to more effectively utilize the helix form feed of yarn turns as it discharges them over the free end of the reel of FIGURE 2. The improvement 10 to the reel enables a better control of the yarn turn discharge over the reel end which results in an improved formulation at spaced but different intervals of a yarn webbing or skeining than previously, enabling the handling of a finer denier yarn readily yielding suddenly fiuifed or thickened extended sections giving an unusual and an improved textile product.

The section 10 on the reel 17 of FIGURE 2 has a brief cylindrical surface 14 for temporary turn storage, then a tapered serrated section 15, the taper being in a downwardly slanting direction and being part of the conical section 13. The device 10 is secured to the reel by means of bolts or studs 23 passing through holes 12 provided therefor. The reel 17 itself is formed of two reel members rotating on, offset and askew axes, each having a periphery of spaced bar members and the two being assembled in an interdigitating manner.

A continuously spun yarn 27, as shown in FIGURE 3, is stored in a plurality of turns in the form of a helix continuously advancing towards the reel discharge end. When the reel end is approached, the yarn turns are forced to slip oif the reel members 18, 19 onto the temporary storing section 14 of the device 10 and, in turn, are further forced by the turns behind them towards the tapered and serrated area 15. As the yarn turns are slidably forced onto the tapered discharge area 15 the filaments forming the yarn tend to separate and divide out to form a Web or skein. Meanwhile portions of the thread turns slip off intact or without being separated, the original being reformed into a different yarn having randomly positioned bulky and thin sections. The discharge of the yarn as a Web actually occurs at intervals rather than continuously as would appear from the drawing, the webbing or skeining is followed by a discharge of a substantial portion of a yarn turn of about normal denier. The random skeining and yarn turn sloughing off thus provide for an unusual appearing yarn product.

This webbing or skeining process is more specifically shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing wherein the yarn 27 is advanced in turns which are discharged or let off the thread advancing reel members 18, 19 onto the fiat surface 14 of the device where the filaments start their separation from the yarn body. The division or separation of the filaments is enhanced by a wet treatment as they slide over the initial cylindrical area and the inclined portion 15 of the device 10 in the form of alternate webs or skeins of the filaments and straight lengths being reformed into thick (bulky) sections of yarn followed by normal diameter lengths continuously discharged by the reel. The reformed yarn 32 may be subsequently subjected to other desired processing stages prior to its collection. The yarn 32, however, in and of itself is not stretched so as not to destroy its unusual physical appearance. If it is of small diameter, such as of about 100 denier and strength is a requirement it is then enwrapped by another the enwrapment being spaced to prevent loss of appearance. Advantageously, the bulked yarn is enwrapped with a compatible reinforcing yarn, and in a con tinuous manner. This procedure will produce a novelty yarn having, generally, any required strength called for by subsequent operations yet retaining its unusualness.

A continuous method for making the complete improved novelty yarn is shown in FIGURE 5. The method will be described in connection with the spinning of a viscose rayon yarn although it is not considered as being limited thereto. The viscose yarn 27 is extruded through a spinneret 39 positioned in an acid bat-h con tained in trough and being part of the viscose solution conducting mass tube 38. The yarn 27 is directed onto a reel 40 positioned above the coagulating bath then advanced thereover until a desired number of turns have been established, and then it is passed onto and over subsequent reels 43, 45, etc. Various processing treatments 41, 44, 46 can be applied for regeneration, washing, bleaching, oiling, etc., designed to produce a yarn having required final characteristics. Since the manufacture of viscose rayon is an established art, the various a-ftertreatments will not be described in this application. The yarn 27 is then drawn off out of the helix on the final reel over its front end, in the manner hereinbefore described, to produce a nonuniformly bulked shantung appearing thread.

For additional strength purposes or a further modified appearance, a second yarn is wrapped about the reformed yarn. This step is effected by directing the reformed yarn 32 over a forwarding guide roller 47, through the core of the yarn containing and rotating spool 48 from which the wrapping yarn 50 is withdrawn. The spool 48 is rotated by an endless belt 49 at a speed giving the desired frequency of enwrapment of the novelty yarn 32-. The combined final yarn strand is then submitted to a drying process if wet because of a treatment on reel 51. The drying reel 51 may be heated by steam or hot gases circulated therethrough. The final combined yarn is then led off the thread advancing, drying reel 51 and over a guide 52 onto a storage device 53 driven by surface contact with cylinder 54.

The combined yarn has the appearance of flufied thick sections and thin interval yarn enwrapped with a con- The final combined yarn can then readily be utilized in a weaving or knitting operation since it is provided with sufficient strength to overcome the abrupt handling of a fabric forming apparatus. A sample of such a fabric is shown in FIGURE 7. It can be readily seen that the slubs of such a yarn being of various thicknesses and of various lengths when woven into a fabric providing for an unusual and a pleasing final design. Where the denier is substantial and no harsh subsequent handling need be anticipated, the further wrapping can be omitted. Also, the added yarn obviously can be of different color, denier, or kind depending upon final desired characteristics. It can be a thermoplastic yarn having desirable shrinkage characteristics to therethrough form and emphasize greater fullness of the final fabric; or it can be a thermosetting kind where its partial plasticization binds it to the different thick and thin yarn of viscose;

What is claimed is:

1. The method of manufacture of a novelty yarn having random thick and thin portions comprising, a source of multifilament yarn, storing and advancing said yarn in a plurality of turns as a helix, withdrawing turns out of the forward end of said helix and separating them out at random intervals into filamentary form so as to make a Web, and collecting said reformed yarn strand.

2. The method of manufacture of a novelty yam'having random thick and thin portions comprising, a source of multifilament yarn, storing and advancing said yarn in a plurality of turns as a helix, withdrawing turns out of said helix and separating them out at random intervals into filamentary form so as to make a web and simultaneously also partly sloughing off complete yarn lengths, and collecting said reformed yarn strand.

3. The method of manufacture of a novelty yarn having random thick and thin portions comprising, a source of multifilament yarn, storing said yarn in a plurality of turns and advancing it in the form of a rotating helix, withdrawing said yarn turns from the forwarding end of said helix, during the withdrawing separating said turns at random intervals into filamentary form so as to make a web of them, enwrapping said resultant yarn with another of substantially constant denier, and collecting said combined yarn strand.

4. The method of manufacture of a novelty yarn hay ing random thick and thin portions comprising, a source of continuously spun multifilament yarn, storing said yarn in a plurality of turns and advancing it in the form of a rotating helix, withdrawing said yarn turns from said helix, during withdrawal and at random intervals separating said turns into a filamentary web and simultaneously also partly sloughing 01f said turns, enwrapping said resultant yarn with another of substantially constant denier, and collecting said combined yarn strand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,278,888 Lewis Apr. 7, 1942 2,854,814 Burkholder Oct. 7, 1958 2,890,567 Taylor et al. June 16, 1959 2,894,802 Braunlioh July 14, 1959 3,071,917 Fisher Jan. 8, 1963 

1. THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF A NOVELTY YARN HAVING RANDOM THICK AND THIN PORTIONS COMPRISING, A SOURCE OF MULTIFILAMENT YARN, STORING AND ADVANCING SAID YARN IN A PLURALITY OF TURNS AS A HELIX, WITHDRAWING TURNS OUT OF THE FORWARD END OF SAID HELIX AND SEPARATING THEM OUT AT RANDOM INTERVALS INTO FILAMENTARY FORM SO AS TO MAKE A WEB, AND COLLECTING SAID REFORMED YARN STRAND. 